- Superior transfer speeds: data transfer rates up to 5Gbits/s
- Backwards compatible: full support for USB 2.0 (at USB 2.0 speeds)
- Increased power output: charge more devices as well as energy-thirsty peripherals
- More power efficient: reduces power to idle devices
USB 3.0 Driver for PC
USB 3.0 Driver for Mac
What is USB 3.0?
USB is a serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a computer or to each other. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is the latest implementation of this standard, and it provides higher bandwidth and new power management features.
Built for Speed
Transfer rates can attain up to 5 Gbits/s as opposed to USB 2.0's 480 Mbits/s. This means USB 3.0 is theoretically up to ten times faster than its predecessor. You could transfer a 27GB HD movie to your media player in 45 seconds, instead of about 8 minutes or more with USB 2.0.
Power Management
With increased power output, USB 3.0 provides more electricity for bus-powering multiple devices or high-performance hardware. USB 3.0 will also reduce energy to idle devices in order to conserve power.
Legacy Support
The fact that USB 3.0 is physically compatible with USB 2.0 makes USB 3.0 the new universal interface standard. You can connect a USB 3.0 peripheral to a computer's USB 2.0 port or a USB 2.0 peripheral to a computer's USB 3.0 port. You can even connect a USB 3.0 device to a USB 3.0 port on your computer using a USB 2.0 cable. However, if the device, cable, or port is USB 2.0, transfer speeds will be limited to the USB 2.0 rate.
Achieving Dazzling USB 3.0 Transfer Speeds
In order to benefit from impressive USB 3.0 transfer speeds, you will need a USB 3.0 external hard drive and a USB 3.0 interface cable. Visit www.lacie.com to select a desktop or mobile drive. Next, you will need a compatible computer. While many laptops and desktop computers do not feature USB 3.0 ports, you can purchase a USB 3.0 PCI Express Card (for desktop computers) or a USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 (for laptops) from LaCie that will permit the maximum transfer speeds of which your LaCie USB 3.0 hard drive is capable. Visit www.lacie.com/accessories/.
